By Jessica Perez RD

MARCH 2023

They’re 95% water and low in calories. They also may help fight inflammation and might even slow the aging process. They’re great in a salad or as an edible scoop for dips.

Picture a glass of water filled with slices of cucumber…is there literally anything more refreshing? (Bonus points if you put those slices over your eyelids afterward.)

But when it comes to eating cukes—do cucumbers actually have any nutrition benefits? Or is chowing down on cucumbers basically the same as eating iceberg lettuce?

Good news, cuke lovers: “Like any vegetable, cucumbers have health benefits, and even if they may not be as well-known as say, kale, it doesn’t mean they aren’t there,”

Case in point: all these cucumber benefits you’ve probably never heard of before…

1. Cucumbers are super nutritious.

Here’s the nutrition info for one cup of cucumbers:

• Calories: 16
• Protein: 1 g
• Fat: 0 g (0 g saturated)
• Fiber: 1 g
• Carbohydrates: 4 g
• Sugar: 2 g
• Sodium: 2 mg

And beyond their low-cal package, cucumbers pack a lot of important nutrients:

• Vitamin C: 14 percent of the RDI
• Vitamin K: 62 percent of the RDI
• Magnesium: 10 percent of the RDI
• Potassium: 13 percent of the RDI
• Manganese: 12 percent of the RDI

2. They contain antioxidants and micronutrients

Scientists have been hard at work debunking the idea that cucumbers are basically salad filler. According to the Journal of Aging Research and Clinical Practice, cucumbers contain a group of polyphenols called lignans, which may be helpful in treating estrogen-related cancers.

They also contain other types of antioxidants like beta carotene and flavonoids, which help fight inflammation and protect cells from chronic disease.